Woven surgical bandage.



PATENTED JAN; 31, 1905.

T. W, HANRATH. WOVEN SURGICAL BANDAGE.

APPLIQATIONTIL ED MAR. 19, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 31,1905.

THEODORE HANRA'IH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WOVEN SURGICAL BANDAGE. 7

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,142, dated January31, 1905. Application filed March 19, Serial No. 198,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE W. HANRATH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,have invented a new and'useful Improvement in Woven Surgical Bandages,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bandages for the use of surgeons and others; andthe objects of the invention are, first, to providea bandage which shallbe flexible and yelding, and, second, to provide a bandage which shallnot fray or ravel on the edges. I attain these objects by a bandageconstructed as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which thesingle figure represents a general view of a bandage constructed inaccordance with my invention,

My bandage is of any desired widtl1,and consists of a strip of fabric,preferably linen or cotton, wherein the warp-threads a run obliquelyacross the strip and the filling or woof threads 5 also run obliquelyacross the strip, approximately at right angles to the first. Inconsequence of this construction all of the threads terminate at theside of the bandage, and there are no threads Which run parallel withthe edge.

It is impracticable to form selvagev edges on bandages, because it wouldmake the edges too thick, the bandage too stiff and unyielding, and suchselvage or hemmed edgeswould irritate the parts to which the'bandagemight be applied. On the other'hand, in the ordinary cut bandages someof the threads run lengthwise and the threads at the edge are very aptto fray out, so that the edges of the bandage are not infrequently amass of tangled threads, which must be pulled ofl or cut to enable readymanipulation of the bandage and prevent the embedding of these loosethreads (either Warp .or weft) in the'affiicted parts and causingirritation. Both of these objections are obviated in the presentconstruction, wherein all of the threads run obliquely crosswise. Thebandage is smooth and even throughout, so that there are no irritatinghems or selvages, and since only the ends of the threads are exposed atthe edges of the bandage no loose warp-threads or frayedweft ends arepresent to entangle the bandage or become embedded in a suppuratedwound.

Another important advantage in this new bandage lies in its greatflexibility and ability to yield or bulge at any point transversely orlongitudinally, so as to readily conform to the shape of the part of thebody to which it is applied and also be elastic without looseness, so asto permit considerable freedom of articulation of the joints whenapplied to a,

joint. For example, if there is a protuberance on the body it is onlynecessary for the threads of the bandage to spread slightly or to workone upon the other, so as to slightly change their relative positions,and that part of the bandage over the protuberance will conform closelyto it, lying smoothly over the part without drawing or distorting therest of the bandage and without producing uneven pres lutelynon-frayable, Without the necessity of providing it with selvage,hemmed, or other- Wise-treated edges. Furthermore, a bandage constructedin accordance with. my invention will stretch longitudinally and theobliquelyarranged threads will draw closely together, so that .a bandageadmitting of very tight wrapping, without, however, losingitstransversely elastic and conformable properties, is

secured;

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' An elastic, conformable, non-frayable surgical bandage; consisting ofa strip of woven fabric composed of non-elastic warp and weft threadsdisposed at approximately right angles to one another, and extendingobliquely with respect to-the length of the strip fromedge to edgethereof.

THEODORE W. HANRATH.

Witnesses:

J ENNIE I. MCDONALD, WILLIAM W. Pnn'r.

